


Shaded Leaves, Cloudy Skies

by Jade_Lark_dragon



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Memory Related, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Violence, POV Alternating, POV Minor Character, POV Multiple, POV Third Person Limited, Recovered Memories, Time Skips, Travel, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 08:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5577808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jade_Lark_dragon/pseuds/Jade_Lark_dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was a leaf wandering on the wind, a bird her only constant companion. Besides pieces of a haunting dream, she was content with a carefree life of training and traveling. Taking the Hunters Exam was more Teachers idea than her own. After all, it was setting on a Hunters path that recovered lost pasts and crafted the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shaded Leaves, Cloudy Skies

_"Ding!"_ Gears clanked and whirred for a moment, before sturdy metal doors smoothly eased apart. Gazes slid towards the opening of the elevator at the room's entrance, their owner's eager to interrupt their tense numbing wait with assessing the newest arrival and competition.

It was a rookie, a face that hadn't been at the last exam. A young face and medium height suggested an age placing from mid to latter teenager years, with pretty features of either a young fair boy or girl, a neck hidden by a white tightly wound white scarf and wide angular shoulders underneath a short poncho doing nothing to clarify an indeterminate gender of the teen. Strawberry-blonde hair a shade more red than gold, messily chopped front and longer side bangs framing a face, parted to barely reveal dark-green eyes framed by thin black lines at their outer bottom corners, the rest of the hair tied out of the way into a small cloth-covered high bun. A look of otherwise vulnerable youth was offset by engraved light armor and weapons of visibly high grade quality yet practical design; metal plated leather bracers, fingerless gloves, and greaves, an arrow-filled waist-quiver and strung bow, and eyes that narrowed back while scanning the crowd, face settling into a stillness giving nothing else away when confronted by the stares.

Then a small fist-sized blue bird walked out from between the elevator doors, trailing long black tail feathers with an unconcerned air, rapidly turning its head to face the gawkers with unblinking beady eyes as though it were assessing them.

When the bird stopped on the ground behind the rookie redhead who was receiving the numbered badge, not a few eyebrows raised in disbelief.

_Is that bird taking the exam too?_

But no. After reading the badge, the redhead turned around, saw the various expressions of surprise, paused, closing eyes as the still expression melted into fond amusement. "Asuln, quit teasing," the rookie sighed. "Don't copy the creepy stalker look."

Ignoring the bristling indignant looks from the implied creepy lookers-sans-examinees, the rookie held out a leathered fist which the blue bird gracefully fluttered onto after a cheerful Chirp! From there it flew to the top of the rookie's head, perching on top of the cloth bun like a live hair ornament complete with decoratively long feathers trailing behind red-gold head. The redhead then strode to an empty spot without hesitation, plonking a shoulder-bag next to the spot as though he/she was in a safe location instead of in the midst of seasoned, ruthless warriors with far more experience and strength.

Looked like the rookie fancied him/herself a tough warrior with an attitude to match. It would be fun seeing how long it took for this crack to inevitably crack…

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was stifling.

Crammed into a windowless pristine white room large enough to easily contain a whole sport stadium's field, it was just as uncomfortable as being trapped for days underground. And that was just out the elevator doors. Thick tension, as the unnaturally hushed sounds of such a large gathering pressed down, serious expressions drawn on every face.

Piquan fingered the circular white numbered badge, which a funny green being in a tuxedo had given her at the Exam's hidden entrance doors. Number three hundred, written in the Common language.

Striding with a confidence she didn't really feel, Piquan strode to the nearest available floor space against a wall, and sat, knees drawn for arms to rest comfortably on.

_Wow, only a few people seem to be my age. Everyone else seems to be in their twenties or older._

Though it made sense. After all, people seemed to think older adults had a better chance of passing, and only a few test-takers passed, even after multiple attempts. Quite a few astounded looks had been thrown her way after she'd mentioned her intention to take the exam.

From underneath her bangs, Piquan watched as the glances of the staring examinees switched to the next applicant who walked through the entrance. _Sizing up the competition, huh._

Most of the crowd had the feel of average people… but one, whom the crowd distanced themselves from – _like a school of fish around a hungry shark_ – had the slightest blur of the air around him, the mark of a fellow nen-user.

Inwardly, Piquan shivered. Slicked dyed red hair reminiscent of freshly spilled blood, cheerfully narrowed eyes, inhumanly sharp nails gleaming on every finger, his outfit reminiscent of clowns and playing cards.

The man was somehow the creepiest – and most powerful – clown she'd ever seen. _Ugh, hopefully Guro's present hides my nen well enough. I really don't want him paying any attention to me._

__

His aura…, it seems so wrong.

__

As if the clown heard her thoughts, his eyes seemed to flick towards her direction. Asuln froze on her head, as if alert too of a predator's gaze.

Then scanning bloodlust-tinged attention passed over. _Guro_ 's gift – a nen-dampening jade bracelet engraved with ancient symbols hidden under her right arm bracer; one of the training tools of historical elite assassins and spies – rendered all but a bit of her aura undetectable so that she could _appear_ to have the average energy of a non-nen-user, so long as she used none of her nen abilities.

So the clown's aura shouldn't cause this reaction. No, it was pure _instinct_ yelling for her to hide all her nen, and _Guro_ 's teachings keeping just enough aura out for the bracelet to properly disguise her presence.

__

If your presence suddenly vanishes, the strong opponents will always be put on guard.

__

__

Be the blade of grass in a plain. Bend with every breeze. Keep your roots strong, and you will not be uprooted.

__

Then the focus was gone, the clown flipping through a pack of cards with a bored air. He didn't find them.

Inwardly relived, Piquan took out a sandwich, gently whistling at a pitch human ears could not hear. Asuln popped out from his hiding place, and dove to the sandwich, yanking out his favorite parts and eating them one by one, still proceeding to eat every bit.

As Asuln gobbled his meal, a change rippled through the crowd. Amusement, cruel smirks plastered on some of the faces.

For an instant, Piquan wondered. _Are they laughing at Asuln?_ No, they were looking elsewhere... towards a heavily sweating guy with a sword strapped to his back, frantically pushing his way past the snickers, and bursting out the front entrance.

__

Why is that funny?…

__

Better that the man leave then, then attempt to take the test in his condition. Being unprepared could especially cost one their life during the Exam.

But the way they had _laughed_ … they couldn't be counted as potential allies. Or as a decent sort of people, for that matter.

As she watched Asuln finishing his meal, Piquan idly noticed the middle-aged chubby man approaching her spot, his intention focused on her like a scent hound to prey.

As his shadow blocked her reading light, irritation prickled and she squinted-not-quite-glared upwards at the cause.

A large round covered belly – more unusual than anything else within the room filled with more muscled than flabby figures. The belly belonged to a plump man who had short combed back brown hair speckled with the gray of middle-age, a pug-like nose, grey tunic over tan long sleeved shirt and pants, and a bluish-grey canvas satchel.

He must have mistook her squinting glance as an invitation.

"Hi there! This must be your first time taking the Hunter's Exam!" his voice cheerfully introduced. A curious glance towards Asuln, who was dragging his food away from Tonpa's shadow while otherwise ignoring the strange man.

"…Yes, it is." Piquan neutrally agreed after a lengthy pause. _He's very friendly, for a stranger. Kind of like those salespeople trying to sell something._

_What does he want?_

The short answer seemed to take him aback. His expression suggested he was waiting for more information to be volunteered…then the chubby guy gave up, and ploughed on. "… Well, my name is Tonpa. What's yours?"

"…Piquan."

"… I see! Does your pet have a name too?"

"…Yes… his is Asuln."

"Ah! He's an unusual looking bird."

"…Yes."

"…" Tonpa's smile was still plastered to his face. Piquan had to commend him for staying so long. She wasn't the most social creature around people she'd never met before, especially with the overly friendly types who may or may not had sincere intentions. He was still here though… She started halfheartedly thinking about ways to continue the conversation.

Tonpa realized he would have to carry any talk at this point, and settled into a chatty-mode to fill up the awkward silences.

"So!" he exclaimed. "Did you know I'm a veteran of the Exam?"

A raised brow seemed to spur him on. "Yes, I've taken the Exam for a total of thirty-five times, so I'm a quite the expert!" Arms proudly crossed, he declared "I probably was younger than you when I first started."

Grunts, and a few nods and shakes of the head were enough to keep Tonpa chatting. He talked about the usual total number of phases the Exam had (five to six, depending on the number of remaining examinees), what previous phases had tested, and other Exam veteran-test takers and their reputation professions; a wrestler, blow-gun hunter, monkey-tamer, snake charmer, bee-keeper, bow-user… those she vaguely remembered, the rest blurred into a forgettable mass.

Besides pausing to stare whenever Tonpa made a sudden hand movement amidst his enthusiastic gestures, Asuln continued eating close to Piquan. _Hmm… Asuln's not 'inspecting' Tonpa up close like he normally would_. So Asuln didn't like him, and likely never would. Azure feathers puffed up, tail feathers slowly snapping back and forth… _yup, a strong dislike at best. And Asuln's instincts never lie. Though…there's no reason I can't try to get some helpful information…_

"Mr. Tonpa?" Piquan interrupted. Tonpa's halted mid-sentence about the poor passing rates of each phase, surprise comically struck across his face.

"You're a veteran of the Exams, right, so do you know who the clown-like guy is? The one with red hair building a card pyramid?"

Piquan pointing him out, Tonpa glanced, and visibly shuddered. "Yeah… he's Hisoka, the crazy magician." Leaning in, he whispered in a fearful tone, as if Hisoka could hear. "He cut off a man's leg just outside the Exam site for bumping into him! You should stay away from him. I've seen a lot of people take this test, and he's one of the most crazy one's I've ever seen." His throat bump bobbed as he dryly swallowed. "He's one of those types you need a team for in order to properly watch out for."

From his satchel, Tonpa's plump hands abruptly pulled out a plastic-wrapper wrapped bar. "So how about it? Let's help each other whenever we can, Piquan." Holding the shiny rectangle good in front of him, he asserted, "This is just a token of my appreciation."

Piquan stared, then nodded in acceptance, catching the bar as it was then tossed. "Sure. Thanks." _Guro's parting advice echoed in her mind._

__

Your skills are good enough now to pass the Exam by yourself. But it's not just about fighting strength or abilities. It's a chance to find future comrades. Those who you can rely upon for aid, to share in your times of sorrow and joy. So choose wisely.

__

Another smile, and Tonpa stood up and waved. "Well, I just saw one of my friends. I'm going to meet up with him. Just remember what I said." Walking away into the crowd, he turned around once before leaving. "Good luck on the exam."

"You too," she echoed. _He certainly left suddenly._

Then read the bar's packaging. Chocolate-caramel Energize. Guaranteed to give you a natural boost of energy. Chocolate and caramel. Cacao-based solids and cooked sugar with cream, dessert foods. Both types of sweets were tasty enough high-calorie sources.

Asuln had finished the sandwich and his post-meal preening, but perched on her shoulder. He eyed the machinery processed food with interest. _"Cheep?"_

Piquan unwrapped it, and held it up so bird tongue could eagerly taste the new treat.

Only for the pressed sweetened grain to be spat upon the ground in disgust with a _"Pfaah."_ Disgusted tiny coughs shook a tiny frame, then black tail feathers ripped the bar from startled fingers, sending the bar soaring over the crowd's head.

Someone cried with outrage as it dropped on their head, as Piquan dropped a bead of sweat. _Definitely didn't like it._

__

Hope Asuln's victim doesn't notice where it came from…

__

But Asuln ate _everything that could be considered food. Nothing fazed him. _He only reacts that violently to food with drugs or poisons in them.__

__

Foods that can't be made safe to eat.

__

So Tonpa's food was bad. The listed expiration date hadn't passed either. So either the food he gave me was contaminated without his knowledge

_…or he deliberately poisoned the food._

_Maybe the guy who ran out earlier, who was also new, also tried one of Tonpa's bars…_

_Just as Piquan stood up to find Tonpa – Asuln now perched on her hat – a ringing alarm boomed from speakers located in each corner of the room. A nen suddenly flared out of seeming nothingness, making her almost jump from her resting position. But Asuln hadn't budged an inch nor cried out, only turning his head to eye her at her sudden reaction. _Huh… Asuln probably sensed that presence and judged it a non-threat long before it appeared from Zetsu.__

He'd probably be asking _You didn't notice earlier? if he could talk._

Then foreign nen shrunk into a suppressed but still discernable aura. There was no bloodlust nor battle intention in it, but she couldn't figure out just what the foreign nen's intent was.

Alarm dying off with a rattle, the doors opposite the entrance creaked open from heavy iron lined wooden doors that materialized onto once-blank walls, looking like they came from a classic dungeon. A woman appeared, dressed in a flowing layered purple and white dress with deep sleeves, elbows draped with a sash, long raven hair pinned in elaborate jewelry and ornaments, with the appearance like a polished Kakinese princess of ancient times – smiled ruby-red lips, and bowed, bells chiming with every moment.

She seemed out of place, like a delicate crystal vase among rough stone pots.

But the subtle flow of aura that shimmered with flashes of peach-pink around her proved her diamond-like, far stronger than most of the whole crowd combined, and roughly the same as the Hisoka clown's.

Hisoka noticed too, and was eyeing her with a hungry interest as she placidly ignored him, and the rest of the crowd inched further away from the clown.

Yup. Definitely staying away from him at all costs.

"Welcome contestants all, and congratulations on making it… to the 286th annual Hunter's Exam!" the princess-lady dramatically declared, her voice melodic but loudly ringing throughout the hall like a clear bell silencing the murmuring. "I am Mokkinuta, and your exam proctor. Please, follow me, and I will lead you to the starting ground of the next exam phase." A dramatic swish of sleeves and tinkling ornaments, and Mokkinuta glided away into the doors into which she'd come.

As the crowd followed, Piquan packed away her belongings while Asuln jumped onto her shoulder, and they joined the stream.

Interesting. It seemed like the exam would heavily feature the use of nen, even though most of the examinees couldn't use it.

Still, she couldn't afford to underestimate the difficulty.

Despite repeating the risks of death and injury to herself, anticipation flooded her veins, while Asuln caught on to her mood, and energetically switched his tail feathers, a playful whistle echoing ear eagerness.

_Just how far can we go in this exam?_

**Author's Note:**

> Notes
> 
> *Mokkin uta – xylophone song (Japanese, the equivalent language of Common/Universal, the oral equivalent of which is assumed to be commonly used throughout the HxH world)
> 
> Guro – teacher (Filipino)
> 
> Asul – blue (Filipino)
> 
> Kakin – a country in the Azian continent in the HxH world; loosely based on an East Asian country in real life.


End file.
